Drone of adventurous photographer Bradley Ambrose was able to film the world's largest lava lake inside Congo's Mount Nyiragongo - an active volcano.
The images were all breathtaking and the video was able to capture the lava lake in its hot and fiery form.
The Climb
Ambrose is not new to the volcano-climbing scene. In fact, he has made descents into different volcanoes in other parts of the world. He said he and his colleagues are protected by a safety line to prevent them from falling so he was not nervous. However, his recent experience in Mount Nyiragongo entailed apparent dangers considering it is an active volcano.
Ambrose and five other adventurers climbed about 12,000 feet to the top of the volcano. Aside from his usual gear and safety apparel, he also carried a drone in the hopes of getting amazing shots.
True enough, he was able to capture raw pictures of the molten beauty that is Nyiragongo's caldera. He stood on the edge and took the pictures from above, thus capturing the entire ring of fire.
Ambrose explains further that he flew the drone over where his team stayed, just above the initial descent point. He had heard reports of drones falling from the sky while above the crater and he does not want to risk losing his. All in all, he was satisfied with his photos.
"I'm really glad I was able to get these pictures," he says.
The fearless team has been supporting Japanese experts who are studying the volcano.
Ambrose is a well-known storm chaser and is also an award-winning photographer.
Dangers Of Climbing
Mount Nyiragongo can erupt anytime because it is considered active, says volcanologists.
Even with the absence of eruption, active volcanoes can still cause tremendous hazards and even death. For example, people can get killed with carbon dioxide toxicity, which the locals call "mazuku" or evil winds in Swahili. Children appears to be the most at risk, with reports of mazuku killings in children even recently.
Mount Nyiragongo last erupted in 2011, but the last major explosion was in 2002, which killed 147 people. The lava flowed through the city of Goma and the shores of Lake Kivu. About 13 percent of Goma was wrecked and approximately 12,000 to 15,000 houses were wiped out.
The toxic gases can also heavily seep from the grounds. Since there are no winds to move it, this can be deadly for humans and the environment.
About Mount Nyiragongo
Mount Nyiragongo measures 3,470 meters (11,385 feet) above sea level. It is specifically located in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The volcano's primary crater measures approximately 2 kilometers (6,562 feet) in width and commonly contains the vast lava lake, which may reach 600 meters (2,000 feet) in depth.
